Improvement in cutting instruments for envelopes



I. W. ENGLAND. Cutting Instrumentfor Envelopes, &0.

Patented "Nov. 4, 1879.

N.PETF-RSv PHOTO LITNOGRAPHER. WAS

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC W. ENGLAND, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CUTTING INSTRUMENTS FOR ENVELOPES, 81c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,163, dated November 4, 1879; application filed August 28, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, ISAAC W. ENGLAND, of Ridgewood, Bergen county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention aims to provide a small cutting instrument embodying a simple and inexpensive construction and adapted for a number of common uses, such as opening envelopes, sharpening; pencils, erasing, &c.; and my invention may be stated to consist in a knife or cutter formed of sheet-steel, in the manner of steel pens, with a tubular body or barrel adapted to fit upon a holder, and having a blade formed thereon by a section cut from the side of the barrel and bent outward, so as to project laterally and longitudinally therefrom, as hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, Fignrel presents a side view of niy improved cutting instrument, and Fig. 2 a plan view thereof.

' The instrument is formed, as shown, with a tubular shank or barrel, a, which constitutes its attaching shank or body, by which it is adapted to fit upon a pen-holder, pencil, or similar handle. The blade of the instrument is indicated by c, and projects laterally from the cylindrical side of the barrel parallel with its length, and is formed by a section cut and bent from the barrel, as fully illustrated in Fig. 1.

The salient portion of the blade is preferabl y of sharp tapering or acute triangular form, as shown, and is sharpened to a cutting-edge preferably on both sides, as indicated by b d.

The inner edge, b, of the blade inclines at an acute angle to the side of g the barrel a, forming a crotch between the cutting-edge b and the cylindrical side of the barrel, as illustrated. By introducing a pencil-point in this crotch at an inclination, as illustrated by dotted lines, and moving the instrument over it like a plane, while the pencil is rotated at intervals, the instrument forms an effective pencil-sharpener, the cylindrical side of the barrel forminga bearing and guide for the pencil against the thrust of the knife, while the knife-edge moves in an oblique direction over the pencil-point, and thus performs an easy and effective draw=cnt, as will be readily understood. I v

The inner edge of the blade is also adapted as an envelope-opener, the edge of the envelope being guided by the side of thebarrel into the crotch against the blade, as indicated by dotted lines.

This blade also forms a very convenient and efi'ective ripping instrument, and a thread or twine cutter, as will be readily observed, and is capable of many other uses, which will suggest themselves. a

The outer edge, (I, of the blade is adapted as an eraser, as will be readily understood; but this outer side of the blade may be left dull, if desired, the cutting-edge being formed only on the inner side toward the barrel when an eraser is not required.

The instrument, as thus formed, is made of sheet-steel, cut out and shaped by dies, in the manner of steel .pens, and its construction is thus rendered quite simple and inexpensive, enabling the instrument to be sold at a very cheap price, and thus forming an article adapted for general sale.

I sometimes prefer to form one extremity of the barrel with an additional triangular blade, 6, of the usual eraser blade' form; but this I do not claim, as my invention lies in the lateral blade 0, which has a large range of adaptations which a blade on the end of the barrel would not possess.

What I claim as my invention is-- The sheet-metal tubular holder or barrel a,

formed withthe blade 0, projecting from its side parallel with its length, and produced by a section cut from and bent out of the side of the barrel, substantially as herein shown and described.

ISAAC W. ENGLAND.

Witnesses:

s. H. WALES, J oHN E. GAVIN. 

